Arrangement for gear changing systems



.March 15, 1949. H. E. EKLUN D ARRANGEMENT FOR GEAR CHANGING SYSTEMS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 19, 1946 gg j j! March 15, 1949. H. E. EKLUND ARRANGEMENT FOR GEAR CHANGING SYSTEMS Filed Sept. 19, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 v 0 v, a n 9 9. L I/lVfl/I/fioilfi bl, firllllrllldd IIIIIIIIIIIIB I "IIIIIIIIIII- March 15, 1949. HAE. EKLUND 2,464,673

ARRANGEMENT FOR GEAR CHANGING SYSTEMS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 19, 1946 Patented Mar. 1 5, 1949 2,464,678 ARRANGEMENTFOIKGEKR CHKNG'ING "SYSTEMS Hans Erik 'Elxlund, -Malmo, .swedemtassignor, -to Aktiebolaget -Ljungmans -Werlgstader, \Malmo, Sweden, a corporation ofTSwden Application S'eptehib'er 19,=1946, Serial Nol$985629 I11 Sweden Februai'fyilfi, '1945 Section 1, Public Law s90, .lragusrsgmis Patent expires Febi'fiaiy 15, 1965 Cl. fiat-4347) 7 Gl'aims.

1 The present invention relates to --gearchang'ing systems comprising a gear wheel having -"a riumber of gear rims located radially outside o'ne -';another, the direction of depth of the 'teeth b'erims can be displaced in its axial direction by means of an operating member, and thegear wheel or gear wheels cooperating with the -'eear rims can be displaced intheir' axial directions-by means of other operating members.

The object of the invention is to constructth'e possible to make any incorrect adjustment "be-- tween the gear 'wheels and gear rims which would lead to their mutual injury. Another ob- '-ject of the invention is to read ofi'directly-or indirectly the gear rim with which the 'gear 'wh'eel "or gear Wheels is or are in engagement.

The invention is illustratedby way-of example in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1

shows, partly in section, a gear wheel having-a -flat end surface and provided with a number of gear rims located radially outside one-another (the gear rims are not specially shown-however) the said gear Wheel in the'position shown leeing axially displaced with resp'ect to twogear'whe'ls cooperating with its gear rims, Fig. 2 is asectio'n through Fig. 1 along the line 11-11 but/showing -.the gear wheel in engagement with a gear rim,

Fig. 3 is an elevation of Fig. 2with the gear wheels disengaged from'one another, Fig. 4 is-adiagramcated inside one another in the same'planels'ee Fig. 2). The gear wheel 4 can be displaced axially on the shaft I and is in driving connection with'the latter by means ofa key 6- (Fig. 2). At right-angles to the shaft, on the'-sameside as the gear wheel l and in a, straight line with each other, are two shafts! and 8 supportedin th'e fixed bearings 9, I 0 and II, 12. Each shaft is provided with a longitudinal *keyway I3and' I'4 with which a key or projection I 5 (Fig. 2) "onthe two respective shafts -1,-8 surrounded by "gear Wheels-I6 and-ILenga'gessofthat the gear-wheels I "16, I-lcan bedisplaced-axiallyalongtheir shafts. 55"The appara'ncedf'the "arm 'ss'may'beseenrrdm -"Paifallel to the' 's heifts "I, Bjtlieshafts 18, 1 9 918 arrangednof-w "Ch the Shaft 18119.8 its d fie rl d -supfidrtd in a' tiifilllar'bbi'e in'the shaft IB. The shaft F8 is in addition r'otatably moulitedin 'the fixed baring 2 0, and the i shaft f9 in "the "flied beai irig fl. Each sha'ft lflyw islotatable inF'its hearings but cannot be displaced aiiially. Each Shaft 18, 1 9 is' provided ektelnally wvith screw threads an'd is 1 surrounded by a yoke 22 {and '23 hich-is provided with threads 'corrspenamg t o "the screw thradsnnthe shaft, for the "a'xialdis- :51ame'rtriei'it (if the yo ke along the shafts when the latter are turned. "The respective yokes 2' 2, 23, '-surrdui'i'd with thir limbs-One 'ofthe gear vtl'ieels arrangement in such a way that'it will be im- 'iI 'S, H,- aridare guided by the'shafts 1,- 8"which *ey surround. The end-df' the shaft I'9' which is -taken out thrugh shaft F8; as well as the-enddf th'e 'sha'ft I-8, *'a'.'re"each formed in a 'speciahmanner, -"so "-that*each 'df thein-is adapted to engage with its dWn k-ey of the' typeshown irfFigfi. {One arid-ref the key isadapted for the'sha'ft I8*a'nd itheo'therend for the-shaft I 9, and the same'key e'n'd an bnly actuate'cne "Of the-Shafts. "'Bytur'n- "ing 'first o'ne "shaftffo'r example 5 I 8, with ft'he key and then theother'sh'aft l '9,the yokes 122 or 23 cal -x5e displacedal'ong the-shafts; and withjt'hem thegar=whelsT6 or n. Before the displaceili'ht the g'airwhel "4" must first be -nisen'gage'd flom-"the gar wheels "I 6, H. this wa a'ny desired afijlls'tfn'ielit Between th'egea'r Wh'ls Ifi, I! "and any one of the igea'r rims"5 on"thegear whel t can he emained.

In order to bring the gear wheel 4into"'oriout ef engagement with the gear "wheels '16, I! a "special arrangement is employed. According-to "the "latter the gear wheel "*4 can 'be displaced a'icially on the shaft *I and along the key'w'ay 6 "between the stop "'26 and fiange 25 which are rigidly connected to theshaft I The spiral spr ng 26, located betw en the-'flangees'and a notch 21 in the gear -\vheel"-* l, constantly pressesthe gear =ivheel d 'inthe direction of the "stop 24'whichis sov designed that suitable engagement between "'tlietth of the ge anwhels is bbtai ned 'W hn the gear'wheelfl lies up against this "stop. The gear "wheel'*4"is"further providedwith an :.annular flange 28 in front of which "a fork 29 grips around "thehub'portion"of"the'gearwheel "d. The fork 29 is rigidly mounted by means of ai'key 3'0 and keyway 3" Ona'idtata lblejhaft fi which is' sflppdftd infthe fixedbarings 3'3 and'IM. "To the shait 32 a arm "35"is"r igid1y connected which is" adapted tcfiillilri the "s'liaft n and" tli'us' e'fi't' the engagem-ent "and disengagement "or the gear wheel '4.

3 Fig. 3. The arm 35 is provided with a hole 36 the shape of which corresponds to the external form of the key 37 (Fig. 6). The external form of the key is the same at both ends so that either end of the key may be introduced through the hole 36. The two ends of the key only differ from one another in the form of the notches in their end surfaces. The arm 35 has the hole 36 so located that when the gear wheel 4 is in engagement with the gear wheels l6, ii, the hole is over the ends of the shafts l8, [9 (Fig. 2). In this position it is impossible therefore, by inserting the key through the hole 36, to bring the key into rotating engagement with either of the shafts l8, I9. Only after the arm 35, through the turning of the shaft 32, has caused the gear wheel 4 to disengage from the gear wheels l6, l1 and the hole 38 in the arm has come immediately in front of the ends of shafts I8, IS, the key 31 can in its correct order be caused to engage with these shafts and alter the adjustment of the gear wheels I5, I! relatively to the gear rims on the gear wheel 4. This offers a certain method for preventing the displacement of the gear wheels I6, I! except when they are disengaged from the gear wheel 4, so that these gear wheels can never injure one another during adjustment. By further providing the threads on the shafts I 8, [9 with such a pitch that, on turning one revolution, they correspond to a displacement of the gear Wheel IE or IT for a distance equal to the distance between one gear rim and the next gear rim adjoining it on the gear wheel 4, and owing to the fact that the key can only be removed after the completion of a whole revolution, a safety system is obtained which ensures that the gear wheels IE, I! can never be incorrectly adjusted in relation to any gear rim. If by accident the key should not be removed when the gear is set in motion, the only effect of this will be that the gear wheel 4 will rotate without being engaged with the gear wheels l6, l'i. Thus the coupling cannot be subjected to any risk of incorrect adjustment and is what is known as fool-proof.

The key 31 is cylindrical at both ends and, in addition, has a radially projecting pin 38 or 39 at each end, both of which are exactly similar,

revolutions.

The shafts and 8 are the outgoing or driven shafts the speed of which it is desired to vary by means of the gear changing system. These shafts may be applied to driving any apparatus whatsoever. Their movements may also be com- ..bined in such a way that they are added or subtracted from each other in a price calculating mechanism in measuring apparatus for the retailing of a fluid for example. In the latter case the shaft l is driven by the measuring apparatus and the shafts 'i and 8 drive the price calculating mechanism after their movements have been added together by a differential gear or. the like for example.

Fig. 4 shows diagrammatically the arrangement according to Fig. 1 provided with devices ,permitting the direct or indirect reading on disc wheels of the adjustment between the gear wheels ,lfi, I] and the gear rims on the gear Wheel 4. The same symbols have been employed in Fig. 4

as in the other figures for similar parts. On the shaft I8 or ill a bevel gear. wheel 4| and 42 re- 4 spectively is rigidly mounted and is in engagement with the bevel gear wheel 43 and 44 respectively on the ends of the shafts 45 and 46 respectively. These shafts are supported in the fixed bearings 41, 4B and 49, 50 respectively. On the shaft 45 the bevel gear wheel 5| is rigidly mounted and is in engagement with the bevel gear wheel 52 rigidly mounted on the shaft 53. On the shaft 45 the bevel gear wheel 54 is rigidly mounted and is in engagement with the bevel gear wheel 55 rigidly mounted on the shaft 56. The shaft 53 is rotatably supported in the fixed bearings 51 and 58 whilst the shaft 56 is rotatably mounted in the fixed bearings 59 and 60. The shaft 53 carries at each end a rigidly mounted gear wheel BI and 62 which are in driving engagement with the gear wheels 63 and 64' which in turn are rigidly mounted each on its own disc wheel 65 and 66 which are provided with a scale. In the same manner the shaft 56 carries at each end a gear wheel 61 and 68 which are in engagement with the gear wheels 69 and i0 respectively, the latter being rigidly mounted each on its own disc wheel H and 12. The disc wheels E55, 1! and 65, i2 are adapted to rotate shafts in front of them, not shown, in such a way that one shaft of tubular form is supported around the other. For the purpose of reading the adjustments the disc wheels may be covered with discs provided with windows which permit the scales to be read. The scales may be so graduated that they indicate directly with which gear rim the particular gear wheel l6 or I! is engaged, or they may indicate this indirectly and register directly the units of cents or tens of cents for which the respective gear wheels I6, I! are adjusted. Thus if the shafts I and 8 are to drive a price calculating mechanism which is to be adjustable for all values between 0 and 100 cents per liter for 40 example, the gear wheel I6 is placed in engagement with the gear rim which corresponds to the unit figure for the price per liter, and the gear wheel I! with the gear rim corresponding to the tens figure. The adjusted price per liter will then be visible through the windows and be conveniently checked. The manner in which the shafts 1 and 8 subsequently cooperate to transmit their respective movements to a common price calculating mechanism does not form a part of the present invention.

0n the shafts 45 and 46 a disc 13 is rigidly mounted by means of a key 14 (see Fig. 5). The outer surface of the disc 13 is provided with a notch 15 and one end of a fixed spring 16 lies against the surface of the disc and has a bentout portion H at its free end, the said bent-out portion being able to snap into the notch 15 owing to the force of the spring. On each revolution of the shaft 45 or 46 the spring will snap into the notch 75 once, which is perceptible on turning the shafts I8 or IS with the key. By locating the discs 53 so that the snapping actionoccurs just at the moment in which the gear wheels l5, i? are immediately in front of a gear rim "on the gear wheels 4, it will be possible to ascertain by touch when the adjustment is correct.

What I claim is:

1. In a gear changing system, a gear wheel having a number of gear rims located radially outside one another, the direction of depth of the teeth being substantially parallel to the direction of the shaft of said gear wheel, an operating member for moving said gear wheel in its axial direction, at least one gear wheel displaceable along its shaft and cooperating with said gear 1 managers trims,saszmkessnpportedsonsa screwsthreadedsha'ft waralleltwithzthershafttof saidmdisplaceable gear twheel, etheilimbs inf said yoke ggripping said disqplaceable fseazr *wheel land :being guided by the eshaft:ofsaid'lastzgear wheel, whereby rotation of rsaid screw-threadedshaft displaces said yoke and .rconseguently,.zsaid' displaceable: gear wheel .in the llongitndinalidirection: oftits shaft and means for preventing said screw-threaded shaft from beingzmotatedwwhenzsaidggear wheel provided with the gear rims is in engagement with said displaceable gear wheel.

,2. In a gear changing system, a gear wheel having a number of gear rims ilocated radially outside one another, the direction of depth of the teeth being lsubstantially aparallel to the directiom'nfithe shaft of saidrz-gear wheel, anoperatting member for movingv saidgear wheel in its rakial gdirection, "two gear wheels displaceable tdlongttheirrsha'fts and cooperating with said gear nilms;said,sha'fts'being located in a straight line, *two yokes supported on two screw-threaded shafts parallel with the shafts of said displaceable gear wheels, an extension on one of said screw-threaded shafts passing through a tubular bore in the other shaft, whereby both shafts are rendered accessible at the same shaft end, the limbs of said yokes gripping said displaceable gear wheels and being guided by the shafts of said last gear wheels, whereby rotation of the screw-threaded shafts displaces the corresponding yokes and said displaceable gear wheels in the longitudinal direction of their shafts, and means for preventing said screw-threaded shafts from being rotated when said gear wheel provided with the gear rims is in engagement with said displaceable gear wheels.

3. In a gear changing system, a gear wheel having a number of gear rims located radially outside one another, the direction of depth of the teeth being substantially parallel to the direction of the shaft of said gear wheel, at least one gear wheel displaceable along its shaft and cooperating with said gear rims, a fork mounted on a rotatable shaft for bringing said gear wheel provided with the gear rims into or out of engagement with said displaceable gear wheel by rotation of said shaft, for each displaceable gear wheel a yoke supported on a screw-threaded shaft parallel with the shaft of said displaceable gear wheel, the limbs of said yoke gripping said displaceable gear wheel and being guided by the shaft of said last gear wheel, whereby rotation of said screwthreaded shaft displaces said yoke and, consequently, said displaceable gear wheel in the longitudinal direction of their shafts, and a disc mounted on a shaft and so connected with said fork that in a position in which said gear wheel provided with the gear rims is in engagement with said displaceable gear wheel, said disc covers the end of I said screw-threaded shaft, whereby said last shaft is not accessible for fitting a key to it for the purpose of turning it.

4. In a gear 'changing system, a gear wheel having a number of gear rims located radially outside one another, the direction of depth of the teeth being substantially parallel to the direction of the shaft of said gear wheel, at least one gear wheel displaceable along its shaft and cooperating with said gear rims, a fork mounted on a rotatable shaft for bringin said gear wheel provided with the gear rims into or out of engagement with said displaceable gear wheel by rotation of said shaft, for each displaceable gear wheel a yoke supported on a screw-threaded shaft :iparallel thei sh'afti ofsaidgdisplaceable :gear

cwheel, the .zlll'nbs of assaid :lyoke -.sgripping isaid cdisplaceable gear wheel and beinggguided :bykthe shaftofsaidflast. gearwwheel, whereby-rotation of said screw-threaded 'JShEftndl-SPIZGBS :said yoke .and, consequently, rsaid displaceable :gear wheel in the ilongitudinalsdirection :of their: shafts, and

ran arm-mountedomashaft-and so connected with said fork that :in -:a :position iin which said gear wheel provided with the gear aims is: in :engagement with;said1displaceable gear :wheel said arm covers the end of said =screw-threaded shaft,

whereby said ilast ;shaft is 11101; z'accessibletfor ifitting ,a key ato ity for =the 531 1 11 088 of turning it,

while a1hole inr saidiarm having acontour in the shape :of said key allows-thelinsertion of-tsaiddwy when the armoccupies;the,positionzcorresponding zto disengagement between :said gear 'awheelaprovided with the gear trims :and said displaceable gear-wheel. 1

5.131 a-,gear='changing system, 'aegearawheel having :a number -of tgear rims located madlally outside one another, the direction of depth of the teeth being substantially parallel to the direction of the shaft of said gear wheel, at least one gear wheel displaceable along its shaft and cooperating with said gear rims, a fork mounted on a rotatable shaft for bringing said gear wheel provided with the gear rims into or out of engagement with said displaceable gear wheel by rotation of said shaft, for each displaceable gear wheel, a yoke supported on a screw-threaded shaft parallel with the shaft of said displaceable gear wheel, the limbs of said yoke gripping said displaceable gear wheel and being guided by the shaft of said last gear wheel, the screw-threaded shaft haivng such a pitch that turning of the shaft by one revolution by means of a key will correspond to a displacement of said displacement gear wheel by means of said yoke over the distance from one gear rim to the next gear rim, and an arm mounted on a shaft and so connected with said fork that in a position in which said gear wheel provided with the gear rims is in engagement withsaid displaceable gear wheel, said arm covers the end of said screw-threaded shaft, whereby said last shaft is not accessible for fitting a key to it for the purpose of turning it while a hole in said arm having a contour in the shape of said key allows the insertion of said key when the arm occupies the position corresponding todisengagement between said gear wheel provided with the gear rims and said displaceable gear wheel.

6. In a gear changing system, a gear wheel having a number of gear rims located radially outside one another, the direction of depth of the teeth being substantially parallel to the direction of the shaft of said gear wheel, an operating member for moving said gear wheel in its axial direction, at least one gear wheel displaceable along its shaft and cooperating with said gear rims, a yoke supported on a screw-threaded shaft parallel with the shaft of said displaceable gear wheel, the limbs of said yoke gripping said displaceable gear wheel and being guided by the shaft of said last gear wheel, whereby rotation of said screw-threaded shaft displaces said yoke and, consequently, said displaceable gear wheel in the longitudinal direction of its shaft, a gearing connected with said screw-threaded shaft, a device driven by said gearing and adapted for indicating the gear rim with which said displaceable gear wh-eel is in engagement, and means for preventing said screw-threaded shaft from be- 7 ing rotated when said gear wheel provided with the gear rim is in engagement with said displaceable gear wheel.

'7. In a gear changing system, a gear wheel having a number'of gear rims located radially outside one another, the direction of depth of the teeth being substantially parallel to the direction of the shaft of said gear wheel, an operating memher for moving said gear wheel in its axial direction, at least one gear wheel displaceabie along its shaft and cooperating with said gear rims, a yoke supported on a screw-threaded shaft parallel with the shaft of said displaceable gear wheel, the limbs of said yoke gripping said displaceable gear wheel and being guided by the shaft of said last gear wheel, whereby rotation of said screwthreaded shaft displaces said yoke and, consequently, said displaceable gear wheel in the longitudinal direction of its shaft, a gearing connected with said screw-threaded shaft, a device driven by said gearing and adapted for indicating the 1 gear rim with which said displaceable gear wheel REFERENCES CITED The, following references are of record in the file ofithis patent:

1. UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1 871,337 Hawley et a1 Nov. 19, 1907 913,623 Dallison Feb. 23, 1909 9 i0,342 Milne Nov. 16, 1909 1,007,890 Rash et a1 Nov. 7, 1911 

